Hidden Pain
by Lady Mayhem
Summary: (on hold) Hermione had a bad experience when she was young that left her with an open wound in her soul. She has hidden it from everyone, then something happens that could force everything in the open, or her into her grave.
1. Default Chapter

Before I begin, I must say a few things. First off, J.K. Rowling owns most of the characters in the story. Most, because snake is an invented character. Next this may alter a few things from the original story. Like, though I'm not sure, I may have the person who died in book 5 be alive. Finally, I want you to realize that this is an "R" rated fic. It is a dark story, and can be inappropriate for younger persons. Okay, I'm going to get the attention of people who may have skipped over this. *****WARNING***** this story contains examples of extreme depression, suicidal behavior and thoughts, self punishment, kidnapping, torture, and rape. If this disturbs you in anyway, don't read. That's a warning, I don't want this story to bother anyone. If none of this bothers your, please, read on. And, please review. Okay, that does it for my warnings and acknowledgements. So, on with the story!

~*Prologue*~

Hermione suffered through a bad experience. It happened after her first year, after she thought her life was perfect. Now, it has been "resolved" or so people think. She has hidden her fear, anguish, and rage from everyone. Now, will this piece of her past come back to haunt her? She never told anyone about what happened, only kept up the rouse that she was fine and nothing was wrong. It appears that she will have to face what happened, for the good of many, but will it finally drive her over the edge.


	2. The Pain

The Pain

Hermione sat on the floor in the girl's bathroom of her dormitory. Her breathing calmed and her heartbeat slowed. A lazy relaxed smile spread across her face. _"How strange,"_ she thought, _"I'm so relaxed by this, an expression of the emotions I can't otherwise express."_ She sat by the toilet, listening to her own breathing, relaxed. Again she fixed her gaze on the blood that was welling up on her shoulder. 

Then, re-adjusting her sleeve so it would stay off of the cuts, she picked her razor up again. Slowly, she brought the blade back down to her skin. She pressed its edge to her skin with a fair amount of pressure, and drew it across her skin. It took the blood a moment to begin to show, but when it did, it showed where the nice long scar would be. Hermione tore her eyes from the fresh mark to some of her many old scars and scabs. She had been doing this for a long time. 

Then, a fleeting thought passed her mind "_Why not end it now? The razor is right here in my hand. How easy it would be to pull it across my wrist in a deep cut then lay down and let my blood flow." _But, instead, she stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Her once healthy color of skin had paled. Without make-up the rings under her eyes showed clearly. The hair on her head had naturally straitened, but only just enough to make it a messy blend of wavy, strait, and curly hair. She frowned. _"I'm a mess, and that's only speaking for my reflection. No mirror can see inside me…"_ Very carefully she dabbed the blood on her arm up with toilet paper. She did this a few times, until it stopped flowing. Then she threw the paper in the toilet and flushed it. _"Quiet, neat, and clean. Not a sign of what happened. That's how it should be."_ She stood and flexed. Pulling her sleeve down she reached for her hairbrush and make-up kit. 

Hermione was never one to wear much make-up. She figured it was messy and had usually faded by the end of the day anyway, so she didn't bother. Just recently she had been wearing foundation under her eyes to cover the bags from not sleeping. She finished her make-up, satisfied. _"Again, not a trace." _She tossed the razor in with her make-up. Finally, pulling her hair into a careless bun, she left the bathroom and headed for the library.

*********

There weren't any classes today, since it was Saturday. Also, the library was almost empty. Everyone was putting their homework off again. Hermione walked over to one of the empty tables and pulled out her potions book. _"Damn professor Snape. He always finds a way to give us homework on a weekend." _With that thought, she began work on her essay on medicinal mushrooms.

*********

Ron and Harry walked out onto the quidditch pitch. "Ron, relax," Harry said, "this is just a practice and besides you'll be a brilliant keeper." "I know I know, you've only said that a million and a half times." Ron replied. They both mounted their brooms and took off to meet the rest of the team. 

Harry, who was the new captain, said, "It's nice to see that everyone is here on time." At this he look strait at Fred and George who were trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably. They had been late for a lot of practices with the excuse that they were working on their joke shop. "Now, moving right along, we'll begin practicing with the first plan that I showed you last time." The team flew off to their respectful positions as Harry landed to release the bludgers and quaffle. 

He threw the quaffle up and the play began. Katie caught it then flew over, dodging the bludgers, and threw it to Angelina. Angelina flew strait for Ron's goals. This should confuse the other team at first, and they'll chase after her to get the ball and then an easy shot at the goal. But then, Angelina tossed the ball and hit it across the pitch with her broomtail. At the other end was Katie today, but either of the other two chasers could catch it. Katie caught the ball and made a shot through the goal. Harry clapped. "That was perfect, let's just hope it works. Now let's move onto the second maneuver…" And so their quidditch practice began. 

*********

With their time on the pitch coming to a close, Harry gathered his teammates and said, "All right, great practice. Now I want every one to run two laps around the pitch and then you can leave." The players set off, including Harry himself. He caught up to Ron. "So, how far are you on that potions essay?" Ron replied, "What?!? I forgot all about it! Oh, wait it's just Saturday and that is due on Monday, right? Okay, I'll work on it after practice…maybe." Harry laughed and they finished their laps. They both then headed for the library, knowing they'd find Hermione there. 

*********

Hermione sat, her essay finally done. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed. _"Now on to my million other assignments."_ She pulled out her transfiguration book. When she sat back up she saw Harry and Ron making their way towards her. They still had on clothes from quidditch practice. _"Oh no. I bet they're going to ask me for help on one of their essays. Great, that's all I need."_ They both took a seat. Ron was the first to say something. "Quidditch practice was great!" Then Harry chimed in with "Yeah. See Ron, I told you that you'd make a great keeper." The Ron again, "However…" _"Here it comes,"_ Hermione thought, _"they're about to ask me for help."_ "however," Ron continued, "with practice, we haven't started on our homework." And Harry brought on the final request. "So, would you help us with our potions essay?" _"And bingo. Those two are way too predictable."_

"Guys, I'm already done with my essay so, no I won't help you. However," Hermione said, indicating a stack of books next to her, "you'll find all the information you need in these five books." The two groaned and Hermione smiled. Then she laughed. "What's so funny." They both chorused. "You…two…remind…me…of the…3rd graders…I helped over the summer." She stuttered between giggles. They both thwacked her on the arm. Unfortunately, Ron hit her on where she had cut herself, sending a burst of pain through her arm. She bit back a cry and instead said "Hey! Well excuse me for telling the truth!" This time she jumped out of her chair before either could hit her. "Well, I've got the books I need for two more essays, I think that'll be enough for me. I'll leave you two to do your potions assignment." And she left almost feeling the dirty looks that Harry and Ron were sending her way. Then Hermione smiled to herself. _"They don't suspect a thing. But, who would? I mean, I'm a prefect, a model student, and an apparently happy and content girl. No one could guess."_ She walked up the stairs toward the Gryffindor common room. 


	3. A Dream & Memories

Dream and Memories

Hermione yawned. Her watch said it was 11:30. She had been studying all day, and now had most of her homework done. _"Time to turn in. Maybe I'm tired enough that I'll actually sleep, and with luck, I won't dream."_ She walked to the bathroom and changed into her pjs. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, before looking at herself in the mirror again. Dark lines showed under her eyes. She yawned. Returning to the dorm, she climbed into her bed. Then, remembering that when she was at her home and had nightmares she tended to scream, she placed a silencing charm around her bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she slept. 

*********

When Hermione woke, it was dark. She couldn't see a thing around her. _"It must be really late…or really early"_ She groped around in the dark for her wand so she could see. Then she realized she couldn't move her arms. She froze. She then realized she wasn't sitting on her bed, but kneeling. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw the bars of a cell. A cell that looked very familiar. She had been here before! 

She looked up and saw the reason she couldn't move her arms, they were chained to the wall! _"What the hell am I doing back here? I want to get away from here." _Then, she heard something. It was very distant and soft, but unmistakable. Footsteps, in the distance, heading this way. Hermione's heart stopped. _"Oh, no!" She though, "I know who's coming. Please don't let _him_ get here." _The footsteps were relentless. Until, abruptly, they stopped. Hermione was perplexed. Then she heard the sound of a key in a lock. He was coming into the dungeon!

Hermione panicked, and began fighting against her arm restraints. She tried concentrating enough to use wand less magic. "Alohomora" she whispered. Nothing happened. Now she really began fighting. Struggling. Her cheeks felt wet. She was crying! She hadn't cried since…since…since she was first here! Then she saw the shadow. Stepping slowly to her cell door. She stopped fighting and could only stare. The tears ran freely down her face, now. Before she knew it the cell door was open and a man had stepped in.

She knew his face well. A cold hand reached up and touched her cheek, while those cold eyes sucked her in, under his spell. He raised his hand above his head and slapped her. Pain registered through her mind but it couldn't fully reach her. She was almost in a trance, a frightened trance. He slapped her again. This snapped her back to reality.

She tried to back into the wall, hoping that she could disappear. She didn't. Then he spoke, in a voice that had haunted her for a couple years now. "I thought I told you," came a chilling voice that made a shiver run down her spine and the hair to bristle on her neck "I thought I told you to quit crying. It won't help you here so stop!" The tears on Hermione's face dried up and they stopped flowing. He leaned into her. "Now, my dear, you know what I want." "N-n-no. No." Hermione stammered. "What's that? You dare talk back to me?" he sneered, "Well, I know how to take care of that." 

There was a sudden bolt of pain through her body. It wasn't the Crucio curse, but a pain inflicting one. She screamed. Then her legs were floating out from under her. Then they lay, stuck to the ground, in front of her. She tried to move them, but couldn't. She fought harder until another, stronger bolt of pain hit her. Then another, stronger yet. Her mind threatened to lose consciousness. The man climbed between her legs, and she knew what was coming. She screamed again, and fought more. Pain flooded her body again. She screamed, "NO!" and then just screamed as the pain hit her again.

*********

Hermione sat up. It was dark around her. She was panting, her body covered in a cold sweat. She looked to the nightstand where her watch was. It read 3:00. She groaned, and flopped back onto her pillow. That nightmare always seemed so real. Every time she swore that it was actually happening. She took a deep breath to calm her beating heart. It began to slow to normal pace, and her breathing calmed. She knew she wouldn't sleep now. So, instead of even trying she let her memories come. They swamped her mind, taking over. Time to remember back to when her suicidal ways came. 

*********

It all happened after her first year at Hogwarts. It was summer and she was happy. She had made two very good friends at school and her scores were wonderful. When she got home she started almost immediately on her homework for the summer. Her parents had been overjoyed at her great scores and news of her friends. They loved to here her stories about her school, and all that had happened that year. (Needless to say they were a bit frightened about their daughter helping a boy face an immensely powerful dark wizard, but they got over it) 

Her life was happy, until after about two weeks. One night, she had been sleeping in her bed. She woke after a nightmare about falling. Not an uncommon dream to have. She remembered being almost drawn to the window, to look out. Then she heard a scratching sound at it, so she got up to take a look. 

Suddenly, a bird was there. Before her eyes it changed it's form, into a man! She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Instantly it registered in her brain that it was a silencing charm. She knocked stuff over in her room to try and make noise to wake her parents. The glass of the window vanished. Just then her parents rushed into the room. It had begun to storm, and the rain was pouring in. The, what must be a wizard, floated into the room. He landed and put her parents under the leg locker curse, and they both toppled to the floor. They lay screaming at Hermione to run. 

Hermione turned to rush away. She to was hit by the leg locker curse and fell. An owl, that must have been from the ministry, flew in. Hermione would later find out it carried the letter saying how she wasn't supposed to use magic at home and be warned not to do it again. The man grabbed Hermione, and headed for the window. She had been crying and still trying to scream. The last sounds she heard were her parents screaming her name. Then the sound was muffled by the replacement of the glass.

It took a moment to register that she was floating two stories in the air. She tried to scream again, before finally realize it was futile. Instead she started pushing against the man, her captor. Pummeling him with fists, trying to knock herself free. He instead put her under the full body bind. Then he flew away into the night, carrying his freshly kidnapped witch. Her tears falling with the rain.

*********

Hermione pulled herself from the pool of her thoughts. She sat up and shook her head to clear her mind. She looked at her watch. It now read 4:30. Hermione painfully pulled herself out of bed. She sat on the edge of her mattress, making sure she was stable enough to stand. Then she stood, grabbed some clothes from her trunk, and began heading for the bathroom. 

She would take a shower and then go down to the common room to work on the last of her homework. She wanted to learn some more charms on her own, so the free time today would be good. A vague thought shot through her mind. _"I wonder if the reason I want to learn so many charms is because I want to have a better defense. With a memory like that I can't blame myself."_ She paused, halfway across the room. She walked back to her trunk, and pulled out her make-up kit. _"More blood to spill to clean my mind."_ With that thought she walked into the bathroom and closed the door. 


	4. Thinking Back

Thinking Back

Hermione came out of the shower. She was already feeling a little better, about as truly happy as she ever got. She reached into her make-up kit and pulled out the razor again. _"Ah, my old friend." _she thought, sarcastically. _"It has been too long."_ She hadn't dressed yet, so there were no sleeves to worry about. She brought the razor up, and kissed it. Then, she smiled slightly, feeling this to be complete insanity. 

Bringing the razor down, she pressed it too her arm. She focused her thoughts on the darkness in her heart, picturing it as something solid and real that she was cutting now. In one swift movement the blade was across her shoulder. There was a pinch as it cut her skin, but that faded and left only a small pain behind. Then the blood appeared on her arm in tiny pearls where the cut was deeper. It continued to well on her arm slowly, and she smiled.

Then she took the razor and pressed it against her wrist. She drew it across the thin skin there lightly. _"Too lightly." _Only a tiny pearl of blood appeared on the first nick of the razor. Hermione frowned; she'd have to press harder next time. She rinsed the razor off, and put it back into her small make-up kit. Then she wiped the blood off her shoulder and wrist (neither was finished bleeding, but would stop shortly) and flushed the paper. 

She pulled off her towel, and got dressed. She applied her eye make-up, and left the bathroom. Her watch, which was still on the nightstand, said that it was now 5:00. Hermione groaned slightly as she picked up her the watch to put it on. When she looked at her wrist, she saw that the cut had swollen to form a welt on her skin. She smiled sadistically, and put her watch on. She left the dorm and made her way to the common room.

*********

She took a seat by the fireplace. It wasn't lit, since it was still in early fall and not too cold. This was Hermione's sixth year here. That means it had been just over four years since her kidnapping. If that same man were to try to kidnap her now, he would have a very hard time. She was a very powerful witch, with knowledge of many charms, spells, and potions. She also had made sure to learn any way to reverse a silencing charm placed on ones self. It was difficult, and took a lot of concentration because u couldn't talk. But it was something she could do.

However, now she wondered if she would fight him. If he were attacking her now, would she struggle? With her deepening depression and suicidal ways, would she really care to fight? If he had her in his grasp again, surely he would be much more likely to kill her. That was basically what she wanted. Death. As her mind wondered, her homework left sitting next to her, she remember back to after that frightful night.

*********

Hermione remembered waking up in a cell. Her arms were chained above her. At first she couldn't remember anything of why she was there. Slowly, though, her thoughts returned. She remembered a bird, then a man. Her parents, on the floor, screaming. Then flying through the air, carried by a man. No, not just a man, a wizard. She remembered being unable to move, then being struck in the head. Now she was awake, and kneeling on a stone floor, in a cell, chained to a wall. She began to cry. Thoughts raced through her head. _"What's going to happen to me? Will he kill me? Will I ever see my friends or family again?"_ Then she heard footsteps in the distance. 

Sobs racked her body. She looked up as the man entered her cell. He walked up and slapped her. "Stop crying!" he snarled, "No one can hear you, so just stop." Her tears stopped, and sobs quieted. That would be the last time she would cry. 

"Now," said this man, as he paced in front of her, "you are my captive, and will do as I say." Hermione had begun to say "no", but was cut off as pain shot through her body. "Don't interrupt me," He said, "and what you just felt was a special curse, it inflicts pain, and you will feel it every time you are insubordinate." Hermione shut her mouth and nodded, thinking that he might let her go, or merely ask for a ransom and then release her. 

"Do you know why I've chosen to kidnap you?" He asked and Hermione shook her head. The man removed his cloak to reveal a sleeveless shirt. "Now, Hermione, look close and tell me what you see. What am I?" He said. Hermione assumed she could talk so she answered, "I don't know." "Damn it girl! Look closely!" Hermione studied him. She didn't recognize him. Then she looked at his upper arm. There was a strange mark, that, for a moment, she didn't know. Then it clicked in her mind. She had seen it in a book about the dark times, when He-who-must-not-be-named ran free. "You're a Death Eater!" she said, stunned. "Very good!" he said with false excitement. Then added, with heavy sarcasm and a sneer, "Ten points to Gryffindor." He began to laugh. His mocking guffaws echoed through out, what Hermione had taken to be, the dungeon. 

"Alright," he continued, "do you know why I kidnapped you yet?" Hermione shook her head, she didn't have a clue. The man narrowed his eyes and muttered, "I thought she was the bright one." Then he continued his monologue. "Very well, I'll explain. For one, you're a mud blood." Hermione would have asked what that was, but she thought it best not to interrupt. "I should have killed your muggle parents when I had a chance to, but I didn't want the ministry to show up. As for another reason, do you remember whom you are friends with? Don't answer, I know you do. You're friends with Harry Potter." The scorn with which he said that name made Hermione shudder and flinch. 

"You might ask why I didn't take that Ron kid. Well, I knew you would be easier, because your parents would be helpless, and because Ron isn't a muggle born. Naturally, I hate muggle borns, so you were the best choice. All right, now, about why you're here specifically. You will tell me where Harry Potter is. You will tell me all you know about his weaknesses, strengths, and life. I need this information, so I can destroy him, and bring my master back. My Lord shall rise again! But first Harry Potter must be out of the way. Now, you may begin." Hermione stared at him. He couldn't be serious, she would never tell him anything. "I won't tell you what you want. For one I don't know that much, for another I won't tell if it means his life." She cried out as a strong bolt of pain shot through her.

"Very well. You can remain here, until you decide that you can loosen your tongue. As long as you're here, I will make your life a living Hell. In the position you are in, I can do whatever I want. I can bend you too my will." He smiled, suddenly after the obvious, but calm, rage that was on his face before. "I know how to start. I am a very lonely man, yet I'm still only human." 

Hermione knew where this was leading, and her heart beat quickened, till she was sure her heart would burst through her chest. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Put your legs in front of you." Hermione shook her head. She couldn't speak; she was so scared and disgusted. "Fine." came that icy voice. Then he muttered something and her legs were stuck to the floor in front of her. They were spread wide. She screamed. 

The man walked forward, dropping his trousers on the way. She saw he had a full-on erection. She was horrified. He walked up, and pushed up the bottom of her nightie. She struggled as best she could. He muttered another spell and her panties were on the floor next to her. He was right in front of her. She kept screaming. He pushed into her, with no tenderness. He broke her virginal block. Tears threatened, and would have fallen if it hadn't been for her mental block against crying. He continued to thrust into her, until he climaxed inside of her. He pulled away and pulled up his pants.

After he had walked out of her cell, he turned, and muttered a charm. The chains that had held her arms released. Her hand fell to the floor next to her. She was too stunned and horrified to speak. "Through the door on the side of your cell is a bathroom, your mattress is in the corner. I will bring you food three times a day, so you won't starve. And you may call me Snake. It's not my real name, but it will do. Good night." With that he left, paying no attention to her trembling form on the floor.

*********

Hermione dragged herself from her memories when she heard a few doors open and close. She had been trembling again at the thought of her horrible experience. She took a few breaths to get control of her body, but inside she was still screaming. Her watch said it was now 7:00. The doors would be the few early risers; everyone else would get up at around 7:30-8:00. She would wait for Harry and Ron before heading to breakfast. So, she finally dug out her homework to finish it. It managed to force away the horror of her past. Buried it back to where it had stayed for the past few years.

Author's Note

Whew! That was a tough one to write. Sorry it took so long! Please review with your thoughts. I hope this reads okay. I wrote it at several different times. Well, now I'll start writing about things that are happening in the present. So look forward to fewer flashbacks. I'm personally glad; memories can be hard to write! lol. I'm not sure where this story is headed, but I have a few ideas. I'll try to write faster. Once again, please review. 


	5. The New Professor

The New Professor

"Harry," Ron said, as Neville finally left their dorm, "have you noticed anything…different about Hermione." Harry shrugged. "She does seem a little…off. Not crazy, just…_detached_. Like something's bothering her. Something different then in first year. But, we didn't really know her for long in first year, maybe this is how she is. After all, she seemed different in second year, so maybe it was just like a maturing time for her, or something." Ron nodded, but didn't look convinced. "I've thought about that, but I don't think so. She even seems to have gradually changed over the time I've known her." Harry shrugged again. "People change. Now come on, it's after 8, and if we don't hurry the person in question is going to lecture us again." Ron laughed, but in the back of his mind, the little voice, that had been bothering him, was saying _"something just isn't right."_

He was been thinking about that, as he dug through his bag for the homework that he _had _to finish today, when he heard an impatient knock on his door. "Harry!…Ron!…Are you two even up yet? Can I come in?" came Hermione's voice, muted behind the door. Harry and Ron smirked at each other, and while Harry mouthed "I told you so." to Ron, Ron said "Yeah, you can come in!" and braced himself for the first speech of the day. Hermione opened the door and stomped in. Her mouth opened in shock. "You two aren't even dressed! You haven't even bothered to brush your hair yet!" "I have!" Harry interrupted her, somewhat irritated. 

Hermione closed her mouth. She had been about to go into a rant about responsibility. "Yes…well," she began, suppressing giggles that threatened to bubble fourth, "well…um…it looks…well…" She broke off, when the laughter finally got away from her. Ron joined in, until Harry threw his pillow at him. "OY!" Ron shouted. "You know I can't help my hair, it has a mind of it's own." Harry said. "But…it…looks…so…so…so…" Hermione broke again into laughter. Finally when she regained her composure, she said, "Okay…Harry stop messing with your hair, it looks fine! Now both of you get dressed, or we'll be late for breakfast." With that, she turned on her heal and walked out, almost slamming the door. "No one asked you to wait!" Ron yelled at the shut door. Harry laughed, when his pillow smacked into his face. He looked at Ron with a look of, what he was trying for, complete rage. Ron was doubled over, laughing, tears were in the corner of his eyes.

"You…should see…your…face!" he managed to force out, between snickers. Harry glanced at the mirror next to Dean's bed, and had to laugh too. It was the dumbest face he'd seen in a while. "We've got to get ready, Hermione is likely to blow if we don't hurry." Harry said. Ron nodded, and headed for the bathroom, every now and again letting another chuckle escape.

*********

Hermione sat at a chair by the fireplace. _"Those two! I swear, they are such idiots! What on Earth could be taking them so damn long? Honestly!"_ At about that moment they came walking down the stairs. She threw them a dirty look, before standing and heading for the exit. Harry and Ron followed her out, only to be assaulted by a lecture on being on time, and getting up early. 

When they got into the Great Hall, they found it was already full, but there was no food on the table. They quickly found some seats. Dean asked "Have you guys heard? They finally managed to find a person to fill the DADA position. I thought they would never find someone, and would end up asking Lupin to stay! Oh well, can't win them all." Hermione looked at the other too, they seemed as disappointed as she was. She could only pray that the new teacher was actually a decent one. 

Finally Professor Dumbledore stood. "I am aware of the fact that the news of why breakfast is delayed has spread to everyone seated here." he began, "Once again I am astounded of the speed at which news and gossip can travel in this school. However, I need to announce it any way, in case my assumptions are misplaced. We have found a new, hopefully permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Suddenly the doors of the Great Hall opened, and in stepped a tall man, he walked between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, so Hermione got a good look at him. 

She felt her stomach fall slightly. But then her logic kicked in, so she felt alright. The little voice in her head was saying _"Don't worry, it's not possible."_ Dumbledore continued, as the man took his seat at the head table. "Ah, speak of the devil. This is your new professor. Professor Serpent. I hope that you will make him feel welcome." He said something more, but Hermione didn't hear. Any little sinking feeling she had felt had been utterly forgotten, and every fiber of her body screamed in horror. She sat frozen to her seat, thoughts flying through her head. She didn't even notice when the food appeared in front of her.

She had only heard the name Serpent once. It belonged to that man, who ruined her life so long ago. She had only heard it once, when someone had been walking around that house, and had called him "Mr. Serpent". Part of her tried to deny it, but that logical voice in her head, that had itself denied it before, was telling her it had to be true. That it was true. She had recognized him immediately, and now the name was the final thing that convinced her. Her old captor, and now nightmare, Snake, was the new DADA teacher! There was going to be Hell to pay before this year was over. 

~*Author's Note*~

Okay, is this dramatic enough to make it exciting. I know that most of that chapter was boring, but I hope the ending to it helped. And I'm sorry it's so short, but I couldn't resist ending it there. I've also got one more message. Some of my friends have been asking one question, and it really irritated me. "Who is Snake, is it Snape?" Alright, I hope this chapter chased away that thought, because it would be impossible to have Snape be in two places at once. Also, after her first year she didn't recognize the wizard who kidnapped her. If it had been Snape I'm sure she would have recognized him. Also, if they had taken the time to read the acknowledgements I used to have in my bio, and now in the default chapter, they would have seen that I said that he was and _Invented Character_. Now sorry about that little rant. I hope that didn't insult anyone, it wasn't meant to. And if you had that same suspicion I hope this cleared it up. I just got irritated about it. 


	6. Why is He Here?

Why is He Here?

Hermione sat, frozen, staring at her still empty plate. She was vaguely aware of other people talking around her, but was delved deep into her own thought. _"This just can't be happening! He can't be our teacher, he just can't! This isn't happening, I must be dreaming."_ She reached down and pinched her arm. She felt the sharp bit of pain, and didn't wake in her bed. _"Okay, so it's real. I am awake. But HOW could this happen? Why does he have to be here?"_

Slowly she could feel herself coming to her senses. She became aware that someone, somewhere was saying her name. Then, she realized where she was; in the Great Hall at the table next to Harry and Ron. She realized it was Harry who had been saying her name. "What?" she said, a bit sharper than she meant. Harry looked surprised, then asked "Are you alright? You've been staring off into space since they introduced the new teacher. I've never seen you space out when a teacher was talking." Hermione sat quiet for a moment. Finally she said, "Err…yeah, sorry about that. I just remembered I have this essay for alchemy that I wanted to get started before class today. I think I'll go work on it now." She stood up and walked out, ignoring Ron's protests that she should eat something.

*********

Ron looked at Harry and said, "What was all that about?" Harry replied, "I'm not sure, but she's acting odd. Maybe it's nothing, she just had an essay to write." Ron shrugged and returned his attention to his breakfast, stuffing his face.

*********

Hermione walked, in her opinion, unbelievably slow until she heard the Great Hall doors shut behind her, and was sure no one was in the halls near her. After stopping to listen one more time for footsteps, she rushed off, walking as fast as she could without breaking into a run. Making her way to the library (after all, that was her cover, and she did have an essay, it just wasn't do for 2 weeks), and hopefully, it would be empty. When she finally got there, she scanned the tables. Not a soul was seated among them.

She walked over to a table and took a seat. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest. This was only partly because she had rushed her way through the halls, with out pausing to rest, or slowing down at all. Other wise it was because of her shock at having _him_ as a teacher. She got up to browse the shelves, when really her mind couldn't be farther away. Thoughts were racing through her head, on how she would ever survive this year. 

The first useful thought she'd had in a several minutes came to the front of her mind. _"I don't have DADA today!"_ She let out a deep sigh. Relief washed over her, allowing more coherent thinking to ensue. Her relief was short lived. Finally managing to think clearly, she began to ask question. In the meantime, she had picked up a book, and opened it, to look like she was concentrating. 

_"What is he doing here any way? I know he's teaching, but why? Is he after me again? No, that can't be it. He wasn't after me really to begin with. He was after…OH NO! He was after Harry! What if he's come for him again. After all, Voldemort is back. He's got to be still loyal to him, so he might have come for Harry! Oh this is terrible. I've got to warn him---but I can't! I'd have to tell them what happened. I can't do that. And why would anyone believe me? It's my word against a professor's. I'll just have to keep and eye out for Harry. I'm the only one who can help him. This is just terrible."_ Somewhere, a bell rang, causing Hermione to jump nearly a foot in the air. 

Realizing she was going to be late for class (a bad thing since she had potions first today) she rushed over to Madam Pince, and checked out her book. She hurriedly put the book, and the rest of her stuff in her bag, and rushed out of the library, and into the flood of moving students. She would have to think more on the subject of the new teacher later, when she was out of class. She really didn't need to lose points from her house for not paying attention. 

~*Author's note*~

Sorry, another short (and boring I suppose) chapter. I just want to get this posted, and work on a different fic I've thought of. Also, I might not post on this one for a while. I'm thinking of writing a couple of chapters then posting them all at once. Thanks to those who have reviewed thus far. 


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